Abstract: A system and method of identifying carts exhibiting tendencies that are indicative of damaged or defective wheels. A shopping cart may be identified and tracked visually through one or more surveillance cameras. By comparing the cart's tracked movement to known symptomatic movement patterns, the system may identify defective or damaged carts. Alternatively, by analyzing movement and positioning of a cart's swiveling wheels, the system may identify defective or damaged carts. Alternatively, by identifying if a customer has abandoned a cart, the system may identify defective or damaged carts. A notification message may be transmitted to an associate to repair or replace the identified problematic cart. The notification may be displayed on a mobile computing device, a workstation, or other like systems.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing an estimate of the delay to check out at a store for a target time and date. A user computing device may receive or infer target data such as a time, date, and location at which a user would like to go shopping. The target data may then be input to a delay model for a target location. The delay model returns a checkout delay estimate that is provided to a requesting user. In some embodiment, alternate locations to a target location that provide a shorter wait time may be identified. In some embodiments, delay estimates may be based on throughput data for cashiers working at a target time. The delay model may be trained or updated using observations of wait times based on images of a queue at a POS station.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reprinting a receipt. Where a customer has elected to receive electronic receipts, an electronic receipt may be received on a mobile electronic device following a customer purchase or other transaction at a brick and mortar retail store. Where a customer requests that the receipt be reprinted at the time of the transaction, the election to receive electronic receipts is overridden and a paper copy of the receipt is printed at the register or terminal where the transaction was completed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, at a processing device of a commerce server, one or more signals from a head mountable unit associated with each of a plurality of products physically placed in a shopping cart by a consumer. The method also includes the step of identifying, with the processing device, each of the plurality of products in response to the corresponding one or more signals received from the head mountable unit. The method also includes the step of correlating, with the processing device, each of the plurality of products with a price. The method also includes the step of maintaining, with the processing device, a summation of the prices of the plurality of products. The method also includes the step of transmitting, with the processing device, the summation to the head mountable unit.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of storing, in a consumer purchase history database, identities of items purchased by a consumer. The method also includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a recipe suggestion server, a recipe request signal from the consumer after said storing step. The method also includes the step of maintaining, in a recipe database, a plurality of recipes wherein each recipe is defined by a plurality of ingredients. The method also includes the step of comparing, with the processing device, the identities of items purchased by the consumer with the respective plurality of ingredients associated with one or more of the plurality of recipes. The method also includes the step of transmitting, with the processing device, at least one of the plurality of recipes to the consumer wherein the plurality of ingredients of the at least one of the plurality of recipes is correlated with the identities of items purchased by the consumer.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products approximating customer location within a store. Consumers can load a shopping list onto a mobile device. The mobile device can communicate via wireless communication with a customer location server. The customer location server can contain a map of a store as well as the location of items for sale within the store. The mobile device can send a notification to the customer location server when an item has been checked off of the mobile device shopping list. The customer location server can determine the location of the item that was checked off of the mobile device shopping list. The customer location server can infer that the customer is near the location of the item that was checked off of the mobile device shopping list.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for identifying defective shopping carts are disclosed. A microphone is positioned to detect sound emitted by passing shopping carts and the output of the microphone is analyzed and compared to sound signatures for one or both of normal and defective shopping carts. If the output indicates a passing cart is defective one or more cart removal actions may be taken such as generating an audible alert, capturing an image of the defective cart, transmitting an alert to a store employee indicating one or both of a location of the cart and an identifier of the cart captured from an image or some other means. In some embodiments, a signal may be transmitted to a cart detected to be defective effective to lock one or more wheels of the cart.

Abstract: A process and method for identifying spills or other types of floor messes through computer-implemented image processing techniques are disclosed. Embodiments of the present disclosure include notifying cleanup tasks when such floor messes are identified. Image processing techniques may be employed to analyze images captured by surveillance cameras installed in a retail, commercial or industrial setting. Analyzed images may be forwarded to human operators for additional analysis or classification.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing an electronic receipt for a vending machine transaction. Upon conclusion of a vending machine transaction a screen on the vending machine displays an optically encoded electronic receipt. The optically encoded electronic receipt may encode a transaction identifier and may additionally encode details of the transaction. The vending machine may also transmit transaction data to a server. A user computing device may scan the optically encoded electronic receipt and retrieve a transaction identifier. Using the transaction identifier, the user computing device may request transaction data from the server either directly or by way of a server owned or controlled by a different entity. Additional content, such as advertisements may be transmitted with or for display with transaction data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for characterizing the effectiveness of an advertisement displayed at a point of sale (POS). A transaction reported by a POS may identify a consumer and a transaction time as well of details such as a product purchased. The transaction time may be compared to an advertising schedule to identify an advertisement displayed adjacent the POS at the time of purchase. Transactions subsequent to identified advertisements may be analyzed to identify any increase in purchasing activity for an advertised product. Increases in purchasing activity and impressions identified in this manner for the general population or demographic groups may be aggregated to characterize an advertisement's effectiveness. Video data or transaction frequency data may be used to estimate an in-queue time for a customer in order to identify advertisement impressions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is described and includes, in a computerized server, receiving a candidate message from each of a plurality of designers. The candidate message is sent to a plurality of target recipients, and actions of the target recipients are monitored in response to the candidate message, including compiling metrics associated with the actions of the target recipients. The metrics for the candidate messages are compared, and one of the candidate messages is selected as a preferred message based upon the comparing.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for approximating alternate currency equivalents in digital receipts. In response to a user request, item prices in one currency in a digital receipts (e.g., for retail sales transactions) can be approximated in a second different currency. Digital receipts with approximated item prices can be presented on a display at a mobile device. Currency conversion can be handled at a receipt data server or at the mobile device. Currency conversion can be performed locally or can be referred to a conversion server. Item prices in digital receipts can be converted from and/or to any of a variety of different currencies.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for generating targeted advertisements to traveling consumers. A user's location is tracked or inferred and compared to a home region identified for the user. For user's located with in a home region targeted advertisements are selected according to a user profile generated from analysis of the user's purchases over time. Upon detecting the user located outside the home region, selection of advertisements according to the user's home region profile may be suspended and advertisements may be selected according to one or more of a generic traveling consumer model, a traveling consumer category model, and a user-specific traveling profile.

Abstract: A process and method for tailoring marketing messaging to retail customers is disclosed. Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise a system adapted to identify significant lifestyle changes in a customer's life by recording and analyzing the customer's purchasing behavior and to adjust marketing messaging directed at the customer in accordance with the identified lifestyle change. The marketing messaging system may search a customer's purchase history for known correlations between shopping behavior and demographic, socioeconomic, and other similar classifications of retail customers. By identifying changes in shopping patterns, the system of the present disclosure can tailor marketing messaging for the recipient consumer, thereby increasing marketing effectiveness.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for suggesting purchases. Within the method, one or more point-of-sale transactions may be conducted. The transactions may involve a computer system and a customer possessing a mobile computing device. The computer system may store receipt data documenting the transactions. Sometime after the transactions, the computer system may search the receipt data in an effort to locate one or more products that have a high probability of having passed (or are very near) their expiration dates. When such products are identified, the corresponding customer may be so informed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, at a processing device of a commerce server, at least one of a video signal and an audio signal from a head mountable unit. The method also includes the step of deriving, at the processing device, a demographic value in response to the at least one of the video signal and the audio signal. The demographic value is indicative of at least one of a gender and an age of a user of the head mountable unit. The method also includes the step of obtaining, at processing device, an advertisement in response to the demographic value. The method also includes the step of transmitting the advertisement to the head mountable unit with the processing device of the commerce server.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for a customer splitting the cost of a purchase with other persons. An electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. Using a device configured according to one or more embodiments of the invention, a customer is able to select the receipt for splitting as well as selecting other persons to share the cost of items on the receipt. The customer may allocate item cost among those other persons. Information may be sent to a server or computer system to provide notifications to the other persons. The server may then process the request and transmit receipt information/notifications to the person requested by the customer.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for a customer splitting a bill with other persons. A bill may be obtained and viewed electronically on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. Using a device configured according to one or more embodiments of the invention, a customer is able to select the bill for splitting as well as selecting other persons to share the cost of items on the receipt. The customer may allocate item cost among those other persons and each person may pay for their individual portion of the bill. Notifications and/or receipt copies may be sent electronically to each person associated with the bill.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for facilitating shopping assistance. A shopping list is posted by a principal and presented to a plurality of potential agents. Responses are received from the potential agents and a response manually or automatically selected. Partial access to a shopping account of the principal is provided to the selected agent. Partial access may enable the agent to view a shopping list generated by the agent and to associate transactions of the agent with the principal. At a point of sale (POS) an agent may be authenticated and enabled to select a principal with which to associate a transaction. Real time data may be transmitted to a principal as items of a shopping list are checked off by the agent and updates and feedback from the principal may be provided to the agent.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically importing retail grocery products into an electronic shopping list by importing the ingredients listed on a recipe card, page in a recipe book, or the like. The recipe card may contain an identifier code that is uniquely associated with that recipe. The identifier code may be presented on the recipe card as a bar code. The system includes a database of recipes that returns a list of products when queried with a recipe identifier code. A user may scan or otherwise import the recipe identifier code through a mobile computing device, which then presents the ingredients as products in an electronic shopping list. The electronic shopping list may be implemented in a smartphone app.